Time to be Heroes (Tag: Morpheus, Neo, Smith, Molly, Karolina, Trinity, Cypher(?))

[trinity_matrix3]

-Continued from here (Put our Heads Together) and here (A Prison Within a Prison)

The rescue party, composed of spunky little Molly, Karolina and Trinity, stood behind the colossal statue in the square of 7 World Trade Complex, with their backs pressed against the equally massive marble base. They had not even made it into the building and already

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[burningpainting]

Karolina grimly recalled that this was not the first time she and Molly had been pinned down by police gunfire. She held the little girl to her side, unsure if Molly's invulnerability extended to bullets; she could take bullets to the chest and crumple up tanks like tissue paper, but projectiles might be something more than she could withstand.

She wasn't sure where to go from here; they were pretty badly outnumbered and outgunned, at least from a distance. If they could get up close, that might be another story entirely. But for now those Agents had forced them to take cover. The last time this had happened they'd had Chase's fistigons to lay down a firey shield, but-

Wait. Karolina turned to Trinity, about to suggest that she might be able to shield them, but the brunette spoke first.

“I need your help. Can you blind them with your….ability?” Before Karolina could reply, she'd already armed herself and dashed out from behind the pillar, guns ablazing

[neo_thematrix]

Following a frustrating and unsuccessful attempt at reuniting with Trinity after he had found her at Morpheus' apartment, Neo had realised that Morpheus and her were apparently back but also stuck in this new Matrix. Plunged into a meditative trance and with his eyes still closed, Neo focused on the code of this new Matrix, accustoming himself to its new parameters, limits and characteristics, but mainly looking for Trinity's and Morpheus' location. He had agreed to serve as a guardian of this new Matrix but the well-being of his friends and companions was for him a foremost priority.

Within a few minutes, Neo distinctly sensed two residual but very clear echoes within the code: Morpheus and then Trinity has successively called for Neo, probably requesting his help.

Tormented by an internal feeling of guilt not to have been able to respond immediately to the call of his two allies, Neo frowned and kept focusing of these recent calls for help. He was about to zero in onto their location when an electromagnetic wave swept through the

[cute_hats]

Molly dashed after Trinity at Karolina's urging. The bullets had been whizzing by as she had been hiding, but she had shown no concern whatsoever. While she had never been hit by a bullet before, she felt invincible and immortal all the time. This was in part because she was eleven and in part very justified by the fact that nothing else that had ever hit her had hurt her. As she ran after Trinity with Karolina flying over head, it was also in part because she knew that Karolina wouldn't let her get hurt, and neither would Trinity

[smith_matrix]

Why? Why isn't the connection being established more quickly?

His left hand back on Morpheus' bald head, pressing it down firmly onto the headrest of the half-reclined chair, and his right hand grabbing Morpheus' arm, Smith kept his eyes on one of the monitors. After finally capturing Morpheus, Smith had brought him to this vault inside Building Seven of the World Trade Center complex, and hooked him up to an array of electronic devices replicating the equipment used by rebels to disconnect other humans from the Matrix. But something was apparently preventing the Disconnection Protocol from establishing a link with the Zero One's mainframe computer.

Something coming from within Morpheus' code!Before he could investigate any further, reports flooded into his earpiece from the 12 Agents and 20 soldiers deployed throughout the basement, staircases and lobby, as well as immediately outside the building: three women had apparently launched an offensive against their stronghold. Smith looked down at Morpheus with impatience in his eyes

[short_green_tie]

Morpheus's eyes never left Smith. He couldn't afford for them to. The Agent was fast enough as it was without his losing concentration. A split second before Smith began to move, Morpheus ducked into a forward roll, moving under the arc of Smith's jump and lashing out with his foot before standing on the other side of the machinery. His foot caught the machinery and kicked it just under where Smith was projected to land, fists pummeling.

Defense first. This time he even avoided contact.

[smith_matrix]

Seeing Morpheus disappear towards the very location from where Smith had jumped, the Agent also saw the main electronic console take the rebel's place.

Damn!

Smith tried to avoid crashing on the equipment but couldn't move his body out of the way quickly enough, his right foot accidentally kicking the main monitor off the metallic shelf it was bolted to. As the piece of hardware crashed against the wall, and as Smith awkwardly landed and crouched, his left hand reached the portable device still plugged into the main computer, right before it slipped out of its socket.

His hand still on the small storage device to maintain it firmly in place, Smith stood up, his eyes meeting Morpheus', and his mind slowly counting the last four seconds of the transfer procedure.

[short_green_tie]

Morpheus saw an opportunity for offense now. A four second opportunity, to be exact. Although this was about surviving, while Smith maintained his download, he could not fight as effectively. A strong offense now may make for an easier defense later. But what? What could he do in four seconds? A lot. Yet, he had to figure out..and fast..what would be the most effective move. He may only get one.

Morpheus was struck with inspiration. He brought his hands together and ripped off one chainlink for each hand and whipped them at Smith like makeshift throwing stars. He then immediately ripped off a third one and also whipped hit. His goal were each of Smith's eyes. The first naturally was to start the dodging and the next two to hit the predicted target areas. He only hoped that he was successful. Even blinded Smith would be highly dangerous, but the threat would be lowered enough to potentially buy Morpheus a few extra precious minutes as the rescue party closed in.

[smith_matrix]

With his left hand still maintaining the portable storage device plugged into the computer as the last few bits of the previous protocol were downloaded onto it, Smith had very limited room to manoeuver. When he saw Morpheus turn his chain links into makeshift projectiles, Smith was not only surprised by the speed but also by the precision of his throws.

Smith was about to dodge the first incoming projectile when he felt a distant but precise sensation of déjà vu.

He knows I'm going to dodge this...

Defiant, Smith stood still and swiftly raised his right hand in front of his eyes. The first sharp projectile hit his hand with unexpected force, precisely at his eyes' level, digging deep inside his flesh and leaving a bloody and painful hole in his right hand. The two other projectiles hit Smith in the chest with the same sharp velocity, precisely where his eyes would have been if he had dodged the first projectile

[cute_hats]

Molly sat under the door for a moment, hearing the sounds of fighting going on inside the vault. Whoa, a total Matrix fight! She was just about to leap up to her feet when Agent Smith himself dove under the door with her!!! Molly's eyes went HUGE. This was so totally the real guy! Right here! As she watched, he picked up a discarded Assault Rifle and cocked it. Apparently he didn't even realize in his distraction that she was in here with him

[smith_matrix]

Smith had hoped that Trinity would be caught off guard by his attack but she had had the reflex of violently kick him away in midair, sending him flying in a totally different direction than he had hoped. He then landed on the floor, his jaw now completely broken, thanks to both Morpheus' punch and Trinity's kickFortunately, he landed close to the half-reclining vault's door and immediately crawled under it, closely avoiding Mr. Anderson's bullet. One of the Guardsmen's rifle was lying there and it was only after picking it up and cocking it that he noticed that impudent little child, sitting on the floor next to him, under the vault's door she had torn off barehanded. Smith was lying on his back and by the time he had lifted his chest to adopt a sitting position and motioned his rifle towards the child, she had jumped on him, hugging him in an awkward embrace that nevertheless tied his arms to his chest. He was still holding the rifle in his right hand but the weapon was now aimed at the floor, as Smith -- sitting with that childish

[short_green_tie]

Morpheus watched the fight unfold in front of him exceedingly fast. It was hard to react as fast as everything was happening due to the blow he had taken earlier. He felt more Agents coming, but Karolina dealt with them easily. In fact, she dealt with them far more easily than he had anticipated she would be able to from his knowledge on her. It was amazing how far she had progressed while still within the Matrix. He was beginning to wonder; he had thought her mind was not ready to be free from their conversation, but what if it was something entirely different? What if her mind did not want to be free? What if she were happy here with these powers?

Or...what if she were not in the Matrix at all? What if the Matrix only applied to certain individuals? Could the Matrix reality be superimposed upon another? Or in conflict with another type of Matrix programming? Could Karolina and her friend be from a different Matrix? Suddenly Morpheus's head spun with the insane possibilities. It may go deeper than a Matrix within a

[burningpainting]

By the time Morpheus came up behind her, Karolina was so light-headed from burnout that his hand on her shoulder very nearly tipped her over. As it was, the last of the glow detached itself from her hands, fluttering away like burning scraps of paper to spark out in the air. Light no longer streamed off her body; now she was merely a particularly shiney human being.

Combining offense and defense in one move sapped the last of her solar batteries, and she sagged bonelessly backwards into Morpheus. Karolina had the presence of mind to be a little chagrined; she probably wouldn't be able to walk out of here on her own. She'd spent too much energy, and now she was nothing but dead weight. Hopefully Molly was better at conservation than she was.